1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a method for applying cloud-based time-lapse imaging systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method for applying cloud-based time-lapse imaging systems, in which the cloud-based time-lapse imaging systems upload images via a network after the images were captured.
2. Description of the Related Art
Time-lapse video is a film obtained by a special cinematography technique. Time-lapse videos are usually captured at a low frame rate but played at a normal frame rate. Thus, the time is virtually lapsing in time-lapse videos. Time-lapse videos enable an audience to observe the long-term changes in motion in a short period of time. For example, an image of a dynamic scene may be captured once every 6 seconds in a half-hour time span, and then played back at a frame rate of 30 frames per second. That is, the image is displayed at 180 times the normal speed. An audience therefore may observe the changes within that half-hour time span with a 10-second running length video.
Most time-lapse imaging systems well-known in the art combine a camera and an intervalometer to record time-lapse videos. A user may establish a time-lapse imaging system by mounting the camera at one place and setting the intervalometer with instructions, such as the working duration and capture frequency, and then leave the time-lapse imaging system alone for the following processes. Based on the instructions, the timer would automatically release the shutter in the camera to capture a still image at a time interval and the still images captured by the camera would be further saved on a memory module (e.g., a memory card). The user may simply go back to that place and harvest the camera and the memory card after the working duration is saturated, and the lapse-time video retrieved from the memory card would then be displayed on a computer or a TV.
An alternate way to generate a time-lapse video is utilizing video editing software. Video editing software usually provides numerous filters which can be applied on a video and transform the video into a time-lapse video. A user may simply import any common video into the video editing software for converting the video into a time-lapse video. The video editing software would automatically extract some specific frames in the video based on the pre-determined conditions given by the user and regroup these specific frames into a time-lapse video.
Time-lapse videos are characterized in that they are able to display a long event in a short time. This characteristic allows the time-lapse video to be used in the field of art to create a special visual effect, and be used in some other fields to produce economic values. For example, surveillance cameras are configured to monitor and record image for a very long time, and they provide both real-time images and camera recordings to users. Time-lapse video is an ideal storage format for preserving the camera recordings in relative industries. However, applying the aforementioned techniques to these relative industries would lead to some shortcomings. The time-lapse imaging systems well-known in the art store camera recordings mostly on a memory card in the camera. It is impossible to obtain these camera recordings immediately, and the memory card in the camera is exposed to the risk of being stolen. As for the video editing software, it requires a raw video, which occupies a significant amount of memory space, for editing. Thus the memory card needs to be clean up frequently to release more space for new videos. Furthermore, the video editing software requires an additional step, the step for the post-processing of video, to create a time-lapse video.
Accordingly, there is a need for a novel method to apply time-lapse photography in a secure and convenient way and to provide a mechanism which responds to requests rapidly.